President Donald Trump announced on Friday on Truth Social that he will host Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on August 15, marking the first meeting between sitting U.S. and Russian presidents since June 2021.
What Happened: “The highly anticipated meeting between myself, as President of the United States of America, and President Vladimir Putin, of Russia, will take place next Friday, August 15, 2025, in the Great State of Alaska,” Trump wrote.
Trump’s Friday sanctions deadline for Russia created immediate market pressure. The president doubled tariffs on Indian imports to 50% over New Delhi’s Russian oil purchases, causing the iShares MSCI India ETF INDA to decline 0.82% on Friday. India imported 2 million barrels daily of Russian crude in June.
See Also: Trump Mulls Fannie, Freddie Share Sale—Backed By Bill Ackman
Why It Matters: U.S.-Russia negotiations reportedly focus on freezing the Ukraine conflict along current battle lines. Bloomberg sources indicate the proposal would cede Donbas and Crimea to Russia while halting Moscow’s offensive in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions.
Chinese President Xi Jinping welcomed continued U.S.-Russia contact, according to South China Morning Post reporting. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stressed that any territorial concessions require constitutional referendum approval.
Energy markets showed volatility ahead of sanctions. The iShares U.S. Oil & Gas Exploration & Production ETF IEO gained 0.50% to $87.01, while the United States Oil Fund USO declined 0.80% to $73.30 on Friday.
Read Next:
Image via Shutterstock
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Edge Rankings
Price Trend
© 2025 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
